The present invention relates to a mechanically actuated refuse compactor.
Refuse compactors have been employed for dry and semi-dry refuse from such sources as apartment buildings. Many of these compactors employ hydraulic rams. However, such hydraulic mechanisms are relatively complex and subject to frequent maintenance problems. Mechanically actuated rams have not been employed successfully. One problem with such rams is that they were not properly supported in the lower containment area of maximum compaction load and so were subject to operational difficulties such as misalignment. Such unsuccessful attempts employed horizontal scissor linkages between the power unit and the ram which were subject to trapping any refuse which slipped behind the ram in the cross-arm of the scissor mechanism.